Amazon comIn 1954, Atlantic Records honchos Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler visited an Atlanta club where one of their artists was gigging Ray Charles and his band blew into a new song when the men entered It was "I Got a Woman," the tune that marked the blind Albany, Georgia-born singer-pianist's evolution from an able imitator of Nat "King" Cole огппз and Charles Brown into an artist who would transform American music In Ray Charles: Man and Music, veteran music journalist Michael Lydon imbues the familiar story with fresh detail upon fresh detail Charles's early years spent scuffling on the chitlin circuit, his embrace of everything from pop chestnuts and country hits to hip jazz as an audaciously eclectic record maker, and the many hours given over to womanizing and a heroin addiction at the height of his stardom are given a cinematic immediacy here More than most artists, Charles followed his instincts to huge artistic rewards and the love of many listeners who recognized their own voices in his sound Lydon captures as much of the offstage man as is likely to ever make it to the page--the man who himself once insisted, "My life was what it was Whatever it became, I made it so " --Rickey WrightBook DescriptionThere are only a few legendary singers who have developed mass audiences while pursuing their own artistic visions: Sinatra is one; Ella Fitzgerald another Ray Charles undoubtedly belongs in this pantheon of major musical stars Ray Charles: Man and Music begins with Charles's impoverished childhood in Greenville, Florida, where tragedy struck early when the young Charles went blind at age 6 and was orphaned at age 14 Driven by his enormous talent and determination, Charles landed work playing some of the toughest juke joints in the state, fought heroin addiction, and finally landed a recording contract with Atlantic Records Unlike other R&B singers, Charles took control of his career from its earliest days, moving on from his gospel-soul stylings of the mid-'50s to break through musical barriers, recording two country albums in the late '50s (at a time when the black presence in country music was barely felt), pure jazz, and then the powerful pop hits of the '60s Famed music journalist Michael Lydon - a founding editor of Rolling Stone - is uniquely qualified to document Charles's career, having interviewed Charles and followed the star's performances since the 1960s Originally published in 1995, and universally hailed as the definitive biography, this new edition brings Charles's life up to date, covering the last 7 years of his life It coincides with the release of a made-for-TV movie starring Jamie Fox as Charles, currently in production by Taylor Hackford Charles has also issued a new CD recently and remains active as a touring artist throughout the world.  Название2004 г 452 стр ISBN 0415970431.